When to Till a Garden
Before you can learn how to till a garden, you need to know when to till a garden. For most people, the best time for tilling dirt is in the spring. Before tilling your soil, you must wait for two things: the soil must be dry enough and warm enough. If you don’t wait for these two things, you may cause more harm than good to your soil and plants. To see if your soil is dry enough, pick up a handful and squeeze it. If the ball of soil in your hand falls apart when poked, the soil is dry enough. If it stays together in a ball, the soil is too wet for tilling. To see if the soil is warm enough, stick your hand or finger a few inches (8 cm.) down into the soil. If you are unable to keep your hand or finger in the soil for a full minute, than the soil is not warm enough. You can also simply measure the soil temperature. You need the soil to be at least 60 degrees F. (15 C.) before tilling and planting.
How to Till a Garden
After you have determined when to till a garden, you can start tilling the dirt.
Additional Notes on Tilling Your Soil
If you plan on planting cool weather crops (like lettuce, peas, or cabbage) next year, you’ll want to do some of your tilling the fall before. The soil will not be dry enough or warm enough to till in the early spring when these plants need to be put in the ground. Knowing when to till a garden and how to till a garden will help your garden grow better every year.
